InDesign makes it easy to add hyperlinks and bookmarks to make your document interactive. However, keep in mind that the interactivity you add will not be evident in the InDesign workspace but will be seen in the exported PDF. It makes sense to set the workspace from Advanced to Interactive for PDF to enable easy access to interactive panels.

Adding URL Hyperlinks

  • Selected the text to point to a hyperlink.
  • Go to the type menu,
  • Click on Hyperlink & cross-reference and select a new hyperlink
  • New hyperlink dialogue box appears,
  • Make sure the Link To field is set to URL.
  • Type the URL in the URL field and click OK.
  • InDesign now creates the URL for the text selected. Whenever you export this as a PDF and click the text, it will open the URL in your default web browser.

Hyperlinking a Page

Similar to hyperlinking a URL, it is also possible to hyperlink an object or text to a specific page in the document. Clicking the text or object will take the user to the linked page.

  • Select the required text  or object to trigger hyperlink
  • Go to the type menu,
  • Click on Hyperlink & cross-reference and select a new hyperlink
  • New hyperlink dialogue box appears,
  • Make sure the Link To field is set to page.
  • Select a required page number from page drop down list
  • You can change zoom setting for different zoom view on pdf
  • Click on ok

Adding Bookmarks

Bookmarks are also hyperlinks which make it easier for the user to navigate the document. You can create a bookmark for every page or simply create a ToC to insert bookmarks. Bookmarks are automatically created when you insert a ToC.

Exporting Interactive Documents

You cannot view the interactivity within the actual InDesign workspace. You have to export it as a PDF. There are several options available when you export it as a PDF. To export a document as a PDF,

  • Go to the File menu, then click on Export
  • There are two Adobe PDF export options
  • One is the Adobe PDF (Interactive)
  • And another is Adobe PDF (Print).

For all intents and purposes, you need to select the Adobe PDF (Print) unless you have multimedia content such as movies or audio in the document. Click Save. This will open the Export Adobe PDF dialog box.

There are a lot of settings to get the exact PDF output you want but just make sure to set the Compatibility to Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) or higher.

In the Include section, make sure Bookmarks and Hyperlinks checkboxes are turned on. You can also turn on the View PDF after Exporting in the Options section to open the PDF in your PDF viewer after export.

Preflighting

Preflighting is the process of ensuring that all aspects of the document are perfect before going to print. InDesign constantly preflights the documents every time you work with them. (Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F)

Viewing Preflight Errors

Double-clicking the message in the status bar will open the Preflight panel, which lists all the errors that InDesign has found. You can directly jump to the page in which the error has been discovered. Once all the errors are corrected, the red error light changes to green, indicating, No errors.

Package Documents

InDesign provides a way for you to package the document. The packaged document contains all the required assets, fonts, and also instructions to the printing press in one folder along with the .indd file.

  • Go to the File menu
  • Select Package… This will open the Package dialog box. (Ctrl + Alt + Shift +P)
  • The Package dialog box shows a summary of various components of the documents and any of the errors it has found.
  • Select the Package… option and select a file name and location for the document on your hard drive.